Environmental red flags for your hair -

How much is your hair loss down to natural genetic factors and how much can be prevented? Maybe more than you realise. The environment we live in has a big impact on our hair quality and even causing hair loss. Making a few simple changes can improve your hair quality, allowing you to keep a stronger, more vibrant head of hair. Even if some hair loss is genetic it doesn’t mean you can’t keep your youthful looks for longer if you want to. So, it’s time to look at a few environmental red-flags for your hair. Start looking after your hair today.

Everyday life impacts on our hair

Our hair is often said to be a barometer of our general health. The old saying having a bad hair day is often associated with the day after a heavy night. Even though genetics influence our hair it doesn’t mean we can’t be responsible for ourselves and maintain a healthy head of hair. Strong sunlight and overexposure, wide temperature variations, as well as changes in air humidity can damage the hair cuticles. These natural factors can lead to changes in your hair condition. The hair can lose its shine and become dry and brittle leading to conditions such as split ends. Another common cause of hair damage is improper hair-care. Hair damage may also result from long-term stress, illness, or medication to name a few.

Understanding how lifestyle and environmental factors can influence our hair growth, for the good and bad, rather than just thinking genetics is the be-all and end-all is the key to healthy hair. This article by Karger investigates environmental factors in hair loss.

Medications can help and hinder

Of course in some instances taking medication is not a choice but necessary to maintain or improve a health condition. Under some circumstances, any negative side effects from taking medication may be an inconvenience but pale into insignificance compared to the benefits.

Medications including steroids can affect hair growth

Hair loss is quite a common side effect with a range of medications. These can range from antibiotics to acne medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs to antifungal treatments. Hormone treatments can trigger hormone imbalances in women, causing hair loss. Men who take certain hormones, such as steroids can also experience permanent hair loss. If you start to notice significant changes in your hair growth consult your Doctor or health care specialist immediately. It may be possible to alter the medication to be less damaging to your hair growth.

Don’t stress

How many times have you been told to not stress over a situation? Of course, depending on how serious the concern it can be hard to impossible to control your stress levels. Stress-related hair loss often starts with seeing a few more hairs falling out than usual when washing, brushing or casually touching your hair. The natural balance of the hair cycle is interrupted, resulting in an increase in hair shedding. It’s normal to shed around 100 hairs per day but this can triple with the hair loss condition called telogen effluvium. The condition alopecia areata manifests itself in a more obvious hair loss pattern. Starting with small circular patches of hair loss indiscriminately over the scalp. This can spread making concealing the patches harder, especially if they overlap to create larger areas of hair loss.

Take care of your hair

Noticing the environmental red flags for your hair is the best way to look after your hair. Avoiding creating possible problems is the first step to having a healthier head of hair.

Aggressive brushing of dry hair can cause hair damage and the hair to be prematurely shed. Excessive traction on the hair shaft and scalp, pulling at your hair when styling can also cause long-term damage. Another regular styling concern is blow-drying your hair, as, by definition, it removes moisture from the hair. This can lead to hair breakage, especially if used daily and aggressively. When blow-drying use a cooler setting to avoid scorching your hair.

Maybe you fancy a change in hair colour; reducing the contrast between your hair colour and skin complexion can hide hair loss. This should be done professionally and with care as hair dyes, colours and bleaches can remove your hair’s natural moisture.

Help with your hair loss

If you are concerned you are losing hair or your hair loss has become obvious, what is the next step to take? Hair loss can be an emotive issue for both sexes. Genetic hair loss is the best-known hair loss condition but environmental issues can also affect our hair growth without being obvious. Socially, bad hair and hair loss are considered to be unwelcome signs of ageing and point towards poor health and wellbeing. Aspects that very few welcome or want to be associated with.

Generally, we want to look our best, feel good about ourselves, to convey a youthful appearance to others. Life today has its own demands and more and more people look to cosmetic treatments and surgery for answers to the ageing process, or to simply restore our hair to look strong and healthy again.

A good first step is to discuss your concerns with a hair restoration specialist. It may be possible to restore your hair’s health with a few simple lifestyle changes. A hair loss consultation should consider both genetic and environmental factors before drawing a conclusion. The FDA has approved hair growth treatments available to not only preserve but also improve your hairs quality, strength and even thickness. However, if hair loss has progressed to an obvious stage then a surgical option may be better suited. Regardless, it is important to conduct thorough research before making a decision. Importantly ensure your expectations are in line with the recommended course of treatment.

Here at Hair Restoration Europe, we offer free, personal and confidential advice. Get in touch today to find out more about your own hair loss condition and how to treat it. We’d love to hear from you.